Two Kings

Chapter 45

As Grey grabs me, I reach for the banister as if my life depends on it. Well, maybe it does. He might get me upstairs and kill me. He wraps his arms around my waist and attempts to lift me off the floor while his team of cowards watch on. Harper looks the most horrified but does nothing as I anchor myself to the banister.

"HARPER! PLEASE, HELP ME!" I scream, "PLEASE!" But it's useless. No amount of pleading has anyone of them intervening. Regardless of Grey being their boss, what about human decency, especially when they can see what's happening? I wrap my arm around the banister, hoping it might detour him until one of them comes to their sense and stops him. "MOTHERFUCKER! STOP STARING AND HELP ME!" I scream, fighting against him.

"No one's helping you," Grey tells me as he peels my fingers from the banister, "and the more you fight me, the more intense it will get."

He's so much stronger than me, and with my strength failing, my grip loosens, and he pulls me free, lifting me off my feet and tossing me over his shoulder. The last image I see is Harper walking away. "COWARDS!" I scream, "ALL OF YOU ARE USELESS COWARDS!"

As Grey marches along the hall, I'm shaking from shock and fear. And the realization of what's about to come hits me. Because I know he's not taking me back there to make beds. For him, everything has led to this moment. Perhaps not as he imagined, but it's happening and now I'm at his mercy. "What are you gonna do to me!" it comes out rushed and panicky, as my chest pounds against his shoulder.

"I'm sure you can guess."

Yes, I know, I just needed verification. And with that, I push against him, trying to break free from his hold, but it does nothing. He enters the room I stayed in last night and kicks the door shut. A moment later; he unloads me like a long floppy rug, throwing me backwards and knocking the wind out of me as I hit the soft, bouncy mattress.

"I didn't want it this way, baby." He tells me as he removes his black jacket and tosses it across the bed. "But you just don't get it? And now you're gonna learn the hard way."

"NO!" I pull myself up onto both elbows. "Think about what you're saying, what you're about to do?"

"I'm done thinkin'."

I flip over and attempt to roll from the bed, only he grabs my foot. Without a thought, I kick him and dart across the mattress. He might be bigger than me, but I won't make it easy for him. The pain of his fingers digging into my ankles has me yelping as he flips me over onto my back.

One look at his face and I see the monster lurking beneath the surface. And I'm not afraid to say I'm scared because beneath his wild, savage eyes, I suspect he's only waiting to tire me out before he attacks. I kick out at him. But he grabs hold of my ankles again and pulls me across the bed to him. "Stay away from me!" My hands connect with his arms as he draws me in closer and closer-until a sudden turn of a barrel has us both freezing.

"Get the fuck away from her, Mr. Mancini!"

I stretch my neck to look around Grey's imposing figure to see Harper with her gun aimed at him. "Get out of here, HARPER!" His voice is controlled but threatening. "I fucking mean it!"

"That's not about to happen, Mr. Mancini. Now let her go."

I watch the color drain from Grey's face. "You've got no idea of what shit you've just got yourself into!"

"I don't care-I didn't sign up for this. You lied to me, to everyone about her. I knew from the state she was in last night that something more was going on. And when she told me what you did, that you kidnapped her. My GOD! I realized how deranged you are. And I refuse to be tied to this. Now release her."